Apparatus for the replacement of contact pins of electrolysis furnaces



, p 1 cs. HEGGSTAD ET Al. 3,527,812 I 5% APPARATUS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF CONTACT PINS 0F ELECTROLYS I S FURNACES riled Jan. 24, 1968 wi/s /r'a/es, -600MUA/0 #5665740 Jam/v M/ am/ 5720" 5 SheetsSheeffc ,1 j

Sept. 8, 1970 G. HEGGSTAD ET AL 3,527,872

APPARATUS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF CONTACT PINS OF ELECTROLYSIS FURNACES riled Jan. 24, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 APPARATUS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF CONTACT PIN-S Sept. 8, 1970 HEGGSTAD ETAl. 3,527,872

OF ELECTROLYSIS FURNACES I riled Jan. 134, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wuss/mix xrrafzuzrs United States Patent US. Cl. 13-1 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for replacing contact pins in electrolysis furnaces comprises a gantry structure mounted for movement along a row of furnaces and extending transversely over the furnaces. A carriage adapted for movement in directions at right angles to each other is mounted on the gantry and supports pin-drawing equipment. Pin cages for storing and'transporting both new and old pins are located in each of the legs of the gantry on opposite sides of the row of furnaces whereby the pin-drawing equipment may easily. transfer an old pin from one side of the furnace to a pin cage on the same side and replace the old pin with a new pin from the pin cage.

.- The present invention relates to apparatus for replacing ordinary traveling cranes, both of which are manually controlled. A large number of furnaces are generally arranged in'parallel rows, and to draw and replace the pins in each of the furnaces it is necessary for the crane equipment to be moved along both sides of each .row of furnaces and also to transfer the equipment from one side of each row of furnaces to the other and from one 'row of furnaces to another row. Thus, the operation of the craneequipment both in being transferred from one furnace to another and in drawing and replacing the pins is tedious and time-consuming.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which will facilitate all of these operations and maybe operated by remote control and with automated control means.

' In acordance with the present invention, the pin-drawing equipment is mounted in a carriage which is adapted to'be moved in directions at right angles to each other. :The carriage is mounted in a gantry extending transversely of the direction of the length of a row of furnaces,

the gantry being movable parallel to the rows and transversely between the rows. Once the gantry has been positioned with respect to a particular furnace, the pin-drawing equipment may be moved relatively to the gantry supporting it in directions both longitudinally and transversely of the furnace in which the pins are to be replaced. Thus, the pins on both longitudinal sides of the furnace may be replaced while the gantry remains stationary. The gantry with the pin-drawing equipment may then be moved to the next furnace in the row or to another row of furnaces.

To facilitate operation of the apparatus the gantry is provided with at least one rotatably mounted pin cage in "Ice each leg of the gantry for storing and transporting pins. The pins removed from the furnace are conveniently carried to the nearest pin cage where they are deposited and new pins picked up to replace the old pins in the furnace. With pin cages in each of the gantry legs on opposite sides of the furnace, it is never necessary for the carriage and pin-drawing equipment to transport pins over the furnace from one side to the other.

The gantry itself may be provided with an electric motor serving both to move the gantry and to operate the pin-drawing equipment. With the drive equipment centralized, control of the apparatus is facilitated. The gantry, therefore, may be provided with programmed control means to control all functions of the apparatus including movement of the gantry between furnaces in the same row and between different rows of furnaces. With such an arrangement, there is no need for an operator to be subjected to the heat and gases emitted from the furnaces.

The preferred form of apparatus according to the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of the apparatus as seen in the longitudinal direction of a furnace;

FIG. 2 is a side view as seen at right angles to the view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same apparatus.

In the drawings the furnace 1 is located on the floor 2 which is provided with longitudinally extending insulated rails 3 along opposite sides of the furnace. The gantry framework 4 extends across the furnace 1 and each gantry leg is provided with running wheels 5 driven by motor 6, the wheels running along rails 3.

In the top transverse part of the gantry 4 there is arranged a pair of rails 7 upon which a transversely extending bridge 8 having running wheels 9 is driven by motor 10. The bridge 8 itself includes a pair of rails 11 extending transversely to rails 7. Mounted on the rails 11 is a carriage 12 having wheels 13, the carriage being driven by motor 14. The pin-drawing equipment to be described below is mounted on the carriage 12.

Each leg of the gantry 4 is provided with a second set of running wheels 15 driven by motor 16. Wheels 15 are mounted on the gantryat right angles to Wheels 5 and may be lowered to a position where the lower edge of wheels 15 extend below the level of the lower edge of wheels 5. Wheels 15 are adapted to transfer, the gantry 4 from one row of furnaces to another on rails (not shown) which extend transversely to rails 3 at one end of the rows of furnaces. Hydraulic jacks 17 are provided for raising and lowering wheels 15, whereby the wheels may be caused to engage the transverse rails raising the gantry and disengaging running wheels from rails 3.

Each of the legs of the gantry 4 is also provided with a plurality of rotatable cages 18, each adapted to receive a number of contact pins in corresponding compartments 19 (FIG. 3). The gantry may also be provided with a diesel engine 20 to drive electric generator 21 and a hydraulic pump 22 for operation of the various electric motors and hydraulic jacks of the apparatus.

The pin-drawing equipment mounted on carriage 12 comprises a frame 23 for guiding the vertical movements of the pin-drawing device 24. Hydraulic jacks 25 support the pin-drawing device 24 on carriage 12. The carriage 12 also carries an electric motor 26 for operation of hydraulic pump 27 which in turn serves to operate drive motor 14, jacks 25 and jacks 28. Jacks 28 actuate a wedge-drawing and brush device 29 which has a clamping head 30 for gripping wedges. An electric motor 31 is also mounted on the carriage 12 for operating hydraulic pump 32 which serves to actuate wrench jacks 33, a clamping head 34, and a pin-drawing belating device 35. A contact arm 36 is mounted on carriage 12 and is adapted to engage a stationary contact 37 mounted on furnace 1 whereby movement of the gantry 4 as it approaches the furnace 1 may be arrested at the proper position relative to the furnace.

The operation of the apparatus will now-be described. Initially, the gantry 4 is at one end of a row of furnaces with all but one of the compartments 19 in one of the pin cages in each of the legs of the gantry filled with clean pins.

, Upon starting motor 20 in accordance with a predetermined program for operating the apparatus, the gantry moves along rails 3 to furnace 1 where movement is arrested by the engagement of contacts 36 and 37. The program-control device then starts motor 10 for the purpose of the moving bridge 8 to a position where clamping head 34 is positioned parallel with a pin in the furnace to be removed. Motor 14 is then started for movement of the carriage 12 inwardly towards the furnace until the most rearwardly positioned wedge-drawing device 29 is positioned just above the wedge of the pin to be drawn. The jack 28 is then actuated to carry the drawing device 29 downwardly so that the clamping jaws of the drawing illevife are opened and slide downwardly along the wedge When the wedge drawing device 29 has engaged the wedge of the pin to be drawn, it is raised by jack 28 and the carriage 12 is then moved in the opposite direction so that clamping head 34 moves into position just above the pin where the wedge has just been removed. The jacks then lower the pin-drawing device 24 and at the same time the jaws of head 34 are opened for the purpose of gripping the top of the pin to be drawn.

When the clamping head 34 is secured to the pin to be removed, jacks 33 are actuated so as to wrench the head 34 with its pin in both directions in order to release the pin from the anode mass. When the pin is released, the pin-drawing device 24 is moved upwardly by jacks 25 until the belating device 35 causes movement of the jacks 25 to be temporarily stopped in a position in which there is no danger of explosion; thereafter raising by jacks 25 is continued. The carriage 12 is then moved outwardly relative to the anode so that the pin may be moved along the furnace.

The pin is cleaned by means of a brush which is a part of the wedge-drawing device 29, after which the bridge 8 and the carriage 12 are moved to a position in which the suspended pin is located just above an empty compartment 19 in a pin cage 18 and the pin is let down in the compartment. Provision is made for turning the pin cage which is rotatably mounted so that the next clean pin in the cage comes into position underneath the pin-drawing head 34 which may then grip a new pin.

The complete cycle just described is then repeated in the reverse direction to position a new pin in the hole in the anode mass which was left by the pin which had previously been withdrawn and placed in the pin cage 18. Subsequently, the pin is connected to its anode bar (not shown).

Through programmed control of the apparatus, the steps just described are continued on the same side or the opposite side of the same furnace or on other furnaces. When all of the pin cages located in the gantry legs are filled with dirty pins, the gantry is moved to the end of a rowof furnaces so that pin cages containing the dirty pins may be replaced with new pin cages containing clean pms.

When one row of furnaces has been serviced, the gantry may be moved to the next row through actuation of jacks 17 which lower wheels 15 on the previously described transversely extending rails at one end of the rows of furnaces. With the gantry raised and the wheels 5 disengaged from rails 3, the gantry may be moved transversely until contact arm 36 engages a corresponding contact (not shown) to locate the gantry relative to the next longitudinally extending pair of rails 3 on opposite sides of another row of furnaces. The gantry is then lowered through reverse actuation of jack 17 wherebywheels 15 are raised and the wheels 5 rest on the new set of rails 3.

The program-control device for operating the gantry does not form a part of the present invention, and any conventional program-control equipment may be used. Also, the program-control equipment may serve not only to operate the above described apparatus but also simultaneously operate the furnaces in conjunction'with the apparatus.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for replacing contact pins in a row of electrolysis furnaces comprising a gantry extending above and transversely to said row of furnaces, means for moving said gantry along said row for positioning at each furnace, storage means mounted on said gantry for retaining contact pins, carriage means including pindrawing means mounted for movement longitudinally and transversely on said gantry, means for moving said carriage means between a position adjacent any selected contact pin in a furnace at which said gantry is located and a position adjacent said storage means whereby used pins may be removed from said furnaces and deposited in said storage means and new pins removed from said storage means and inserted in said furnaces by said pindrawing means to replace said used pins.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage means comprises at least two pin cages mounted on said gantry on opposite sides of said row of furnaces whereby said carriage means including pin-drawing means may transport pins located on opposite sides of a furnace to a pin cage adjacent each side without transporting pins across said furnace.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said pin cages comprises a plurality of receptacles each for retaining a pin. I

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pin cages are rotatably mounted on said gantry.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said gantry along said row of furnaces comprises rails on opposite sides of said row, a set of wheels on said gantry for cooperation with said rails and means to drive said wheels.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further comprising means for moving said gantry between rows of furnaces comprising a further set of wheels mounted tranversely to said first set of wheels on said gantry and means for raising and lowering said further set of Wheels.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said carriage means comprises a first parallel set of rails mounted on said gantry, a bridge including wheels for movement along said first set of rails, a second set of parallel rails transverse to said first set of rails mounted on said bridge, a carriage including a further set of Wheels mounted for movement along said second set of rails, and means for driving said first and second sets of wheels.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pindrawing means comprises means for releasably gripping pins, means for raising and lowering said gripping means mounted, on said carriage means, and means forapplying a rotational force to said gripping means whereby a pin held by said gripping means may be released from said furnace.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v 7 1,711,088 4/1929 Eldridge 13-1 2,526,875 10/1950 Jouannet 1318 X HIRAM B. GILSON, Primary Examiner 

